Hepatitis A Illnesses Linked to Frozen Berries Jump to 87

ATLANTA — A hepatitis A outbreak linked to a Townsend Farms frozen berry mix has spread to eight states and led to 87 illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fairview, Ore.-based Townsend Farms sold its Organic Antioxidant Blend of frozen berries and pomegranate seeds in Costco Wholesale Corp. and Harris Teeter stores, where it was sold as Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend. The two retailers have alerted customers to the recall.

According to Townsend’s recall notice, pomegranate seeds processed in Turkey were the likely carrier of the pathogen. The outbreak strain of hepatitis A is common in North Africa and the Middle East but rarely seen in the U.S., the CDC said.

Illnesses have been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington.